Vitebsk regional executive committee approved the Regional Sustainable Development Strategy of Vitebsk region until 2040.
The strategy reflects the potential, main problems of the region, priorities and practical steps that need to be taken to achieve sustainable development of the area in the medium (2025-2030) and long term (up to 2040). It seeks to achieve a balance in addressing economic, social and environmental issues through the most rational and effective use of available resources and opportunities.
The key success factors of the developed strategy are defined:
The Regional Sustainable Development Strategy of Vitebsk region until 2040 is aimed at localizing the Sustainable Development Goals.
The development of regional sustainable development strategies is carried out with the support of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Belarus within the framework of the Joint Project “Support to the Efforts of the Republic of Belarus in Nationalization and Localization of SDGs”, funded by the Russian Federation.
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Belarus is oriented towards achieving sustainable development, in which economic growth is carried out without negative impact on the nature and health of citizens. This relationship is reflected in public policies aimed at harmonizing economic development and environmental protection.
The effectiveness of this policy is confirmed by the high environmental performance of Belarus. According to the Environmental Performance Index, the country is in the leading position among the states of the Eurasian Economic Union and ranks 32nd in the global ranking covering 180 countries, as well as being in the group of states with the lowest level of pollution.
In addition, Belarusian enterprises attempt to use energy-efficient technologies and equipment, which leads to a reduction of waste generation and their recycling, the inclusion of renewable energy sources in the fuel balance. Over the past 20 years, there has been an almost sevenfold reduction in the discharge of inadequately treated wastewater to surface water facilities and a quarter on average of total freshwater use. The level of municipal solid waste use increased by 1.6 times.
Among other positive trends, there is an increase in specially protected natural areas by more than 31,000 hectares and represents 9.2% of the area of Belarus. Atmospheric air monitoring also shows good quality. Belarus occupies a leading position at the international level for the conservation of biological landscape diversity.
Mitigation of the negative impact of economic activities on ecosystems and improvement of the environmental situation make an important contribution to the achievement by the Republic of Belarus of the Sustainable Development Goals 12, 13, 14, 15 and the other SDGs.
On September 18-19, 2025, Gomel will host the XIX Gomel Economic Forum, organized by the Gomel Regional Executive Committee.
Over the years, the Forum has become a recognized and authoritative platform for discussing topical issues of international trade, economic, investment cooperation, and establishing reliable long-term interregional and cooperative ties.
The business program of the Forum will focus on key issues of the Gomel region’s development in the fields of industry, export, innovation and investment, as well as the work of small and medium-sized businesses. Among other events, a plenary session is planned to discuss the economic and investment potential of the Gomel region, as well as the thematic sections “Production and Innovation”, “Tourism”, “Financial instruments for business development”, “Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in the Gomel region”.
More information about the Forum program can be found at the link.
The Gomel Economic Forum contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals 8, 9, 11 and the other SDGs by the Republic of Belarus.
On August 15, 2025, the Vitebsk Regional Forum on Sustainable Development “Sustainable Development: from concept to Implementation” was held in Orsha, which became a platform for exchanging experiences and demonstrating the achievements of Vitebsk region in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) localization, as well as discussing promising areas for sustainable development in the region.
During the Forum’s plenary session, participants discussed the Regional Sustainable Development Strategy of Vitebsk region for the period up to 2040, reviewed practical examples of the SDGs localization in Vitebsk region, as well as the contribution of citizens and organizations to the process of the SDGs achievement.
The Forum was opened by Deputy Chairperson of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, National Coordinator for achieving the SDGs Sergey Khomenko. In his welcoming speech, he highlighted that Belarus is demonstrate significant progress in achieving the SDGs and is making every effort to ensure that present and future generations live in a peaceful and developing country.
Chairperson of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies Dmitry Demidov noted the significant efforts of Vitebsk region in promoting the SDGs.He underscored that the SDGs are integrated into the strategic and programming documents of the region, the Vitebsk Regional Group on Sustainable Development has been established, and the achievement of the SDG list indicators is being monitored. Special attention is paid to the involvement of public organizations, business representatives, youth and the public in the implementation of local initiatives aimed at sustainable development. Dmitry Demidov stated that the Forum allows not only to analyze the results achieved, but also to discuss current challenges and promising areas, as well as to develop a common understanding of further steps to strengthen the sustainable development of the region.
The UN Resident Coordinator in the Republic of Belarus Rasul Baghirov stressed that Belarus is demonstrating steady progress in implementing the UN Sustainable Development Agenda for the period up to 2030.According to the third Voluntary National Review, the SDG achievement rate is 80.5%, that reflects the country’s high degree of commitment to international obligations. Special attention is paid to such areas as poverty and hunger eradication, decent work, infrastructure development, health protection and gender equality. The country has made significant strides in the field of healthcare, including reducing maternal mortality and the availability of high-tech medical care.
In her speech, the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Republic of Belarus Renfei Liu, emphasized the special contribution of the UNDP to the development of local entrepreneurship, environmental protection, and strengthening the health and social protection system of Vitebsk region.She noted that the Regional Sustainable Development Strategy of Vitebsk region for the period up to 2040, developed with the support of the UNDP, defines an innovative, environmentally friendly and inclusive future for the region and considers the region as a place where history and traditions are respected, nature is protected, and a high quality of life is provided for all.
In her welcoming speech, the Deputy Representative of UNICEF in the Republic of Belarus Kristin Ganibe said that UNICEF is actively working with Vitebsk region, implementing sustainable initiatives that have great impact and directly benefit children. Among them is the global initiative “Cities friendly to children and adolescents”, which has already been joined by five cities of Vitebsk region (Novopolotsk, Polotsk, Orsha, Braslav and Vitebsk).
The UNFPA Head of Office in the Republic of Belarus Olga Atroshchanka noted in her speech that the activities of the UNPFPA in Vitebsk region are focused on three areas: demographic sustainability, gender equality and ensuring equal rights and opportunities for men and women, and reproductive health.
The Counselor of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Belarus Roman Khasiev addressed the participants of the Forum with a welcoming speech. He stressed that the term “sustainable development” is a guideline for creating favorable living conditions for citizens. Relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus are developing within the framework of allied cooperation based on long-standing historical ties and common integration interests. Cooperation covers a wide range of areas, from economics and energy to the humanitarian sphere, and is implemented through the mechanisms of the Union State and other regional platforms.
The key topic of the plenary session was the presentation and discussion of the Regional Sustainable Development Strategy of Vitebsk region for the period up to 2040, developed with the support of the UNDP in the Republic of Belarus. The strategy is a social consensus agreement reflecting the desire of Vitebsk region’s population to live in accordance with the principles of sustainable development.
The Deputy Chairperson of Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Chairperson of Vitebsk Regional Group for Sustainable Development Angelika Nikitina noted that the Strategy, considering regional specifics and competencies, defines key tasks and directions for the further development of Vitebsk region, and the slogan of the Strategy “The future belongs to technology in harmony with nature” is associated with achieving the SDGs.
The main result of the successful implementation of the Strategy will be the preservation and increase of human capital, the real realization of the slogan “Return to your small homeland!”. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to concentrate resources in the most promising areas of economic activity and the cooperation of all stakeholders: government authorities, enterprises in the real sector of the economy, public associations, deputies, and the population.
During the plenary session, organizations of Vitebsk region shared practical examples of SDG localization. Thus, the Chief Technologist and Head of the Technical Department of Vitebsk Carpets Oksana Przhevalskaya presented the experience of implementing ESG to achieve sustainable work results. The educational program for mastering ESG practices and tools based on online learning technologies was presented by the PhD in Economics, Associate Professor of Economics and e-Business at the Higher School of Economics Kristina Kraenkova. The Director of Vikop-Fagus Sergey Ryskov informed about the introduction of the principles of circular economy and resource conservation. The Deputy Chairperson of the Braslav District Executive Committee Elena Babinskaya presented information on the development of inclusive tourism in Braslav district using the example of pilot SDG initiatives implemented in Vitebsk region with the support of the UNDP in the Republic of Belarus.
An important contribution to the sustainable development of Vitebsk region is made by the involvement of citizens in the process of the SDGs localization, including through their implementation of local initiatives. The Executive Director of Vitebsk Regional Association of Local Councils of Deputies Ekaterina Lazovskaya stressed that conditions have been created in Belarus for the self-realization of the personal potential of every citizen and noted the important role of civic initiatives to improve the quality of life. In 2025, the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies received more than 60 such initiatives, 11 of them became winners, including initiatives to provide Sennensky district with clean drinking water, to develop the tourism potential of the Shumilinsky district through the geological monument of nature of national significance “Bolshoy Kamen Boulder”, to develop the tourism potential of the Shumilinsky and Polotsk districts, to create a sport section in Vitebsk “Football on electric wheels”, to develop crafts in the Sharkovshchinsky district and others.
The youth of Vitebsk region also contribute to the SDGs achievement. Ilya Maltsev, Second Secretary of the Vitebsk Regional Committee of the NGO “BRSM”, noted that the NGO “BRSM” is working to involve young people in several areas at once and implements projects aimed at quality education, good health and well-being, decent work, sustainable partnership and others.
The plenary session ended with an awards ceremony for organizations and citizens for their contribution to achieving the SDGs.
After the plenary session, the Forum continued in three sections:
An important part of the event was an exhibition and fair organized at the Forum site, where innovative projects and achievements of Vitebsk region in the fields of ecology, energy efficiency, agriculture and digitalization, tourism, etc. were presented.
The Forum is organized by the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee and the Orsha District Executive Committee with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Republic of Belarus as part of the Joint Project “Support to the Efforts of the Republic of Belarus in Nationalization and Localization of SDGs” funded by the Government of the Russian Federation.
This article includes photographic materials from the official website of the editorial office of Arshanskaya Gazeta.
On August 19-21, 2025, III International Specialized Environmental Exhibition ECOLOGY EXPO — 2025 will be held in Minsk. The slogan of the current event is “Green innovations for a sustainable future”.
Heads and specialists of republican government bodies, international organizations, etc. are expected to participate in the events of the exhibition. Representatives of other countries are also expected to participate: Brazil, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, the Russian Federation, and Uzbekistan.
The thematic areas of ECOLOGY EXPO — 2025 will be environmental technologies in development; environmentally friendly construction technologies; waste and recycled materials; eco-transportation; eco-environment; eco-nutrition and eco-packaging; ecotourism; protection and rational use of water resources; scientific research in the field of ecology, environmental education and enlightenment.
The exhibition program includes an open meeting of the Waste Management Coordination Council, dialogue platforms, scientific and practical conferences. Three interactive platforms are planned, during which the environmental activities of educational institutions, SDG Youth Ambassadors, eco-volunteers, and youth associations will be demonstrated in a playful way. In addition, an environmental fair will be organized.
Detailed information about the exhibition is available on its official website.
The holding of the International Specialized Environmental Exhibition ECOLOGY EXPO contributes to the achievement by the Republic of Belarus of the Sustainable Development Goals 7, 9, 12, 13, 15 and the other SDGs.
On September 6, 2025, the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus will host in Minsk the Science Festival. The event will traditionally bring together scientists, students, research organizations and technology companies not only from Belarus, but also from abroad, with the aim of popularizing science, promoting the work of scientists, as well as promoting professional self-determination of young people.
Within the framework of the Festival, thematic platforms “Cosmos”, “Intelligent Technologies”, “Taste of Science”, “Medicine”, “Laboratory”, “Ecology”, “Ethnography”, “University of the Future”, “SCIENCE 0+”, “ATOM TEAM” and others will be organized. Visitors can expect popular science lectures from experts from various fields, master classes, experiments that visitors can conduct on their own, large-scale art objects to explain scientific principles and phenomena, exhibition stands with developments and exhibits, science shows, as well as entertainment quizzes and games.
An important part of the event will be the exhibition-contest “100 innovations of young scientists”, which will feature the best developments and research of new talented scientists in the country.
In addition, a special exhibition “Inventors” will be organized, where unique ideas and developments created by enthusiasts who strive to make the world more convenient, interesting and better will be presented. Applications for participation in this exhibition are accepted until August 8, 2025.
The Science Festival makes an important contribution to the achievement by the Republic of Belarus of the Sustainable Development Goal 9 and the other SDGs.
The National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus has prepared a statistical digest “The social status and standard of living of the population of the Republic of Belarus”.
The digest contains official statistical information characterizing various aspects of the standard and quality of life of the population of the Republic of Belarus in 2019-2024.
In addition, in the digest:
Providing reliable and timely statistical information makes an important contribution to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Investments are a key factor in the economic development of any state. In Belarus, in the first half of 2025, investments in fixed assets showed the best dynamics among the main socio-economic indicators, which increased by 14% compared to the previous period. The positive dynamics is typical for both the capital and all regions of the country.
According to the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Belarus, the leading projects for attracted investments in fixed assets are JSC Svetlogorsk Central Committee, JSC Agricultural Combine Dzerzhinsky, LLC Minsk City Technopark.
A special contribution to the development of investment activity in the regions is made by the “One District, One Project” initiative, which provides for the creation of at least one production project in each region of the country. As of July 1, 2025, about 5.8 thousand new jobs have been created under the initiative, and in the future there should be more than 9 thousand of them. 84 projects have been completed, and more than 160 are under implementation. The main part of the projects has an industrial focus – these are the spheres of construction, food industry, woodworking, chemical production. At the same time, there is a growing business interest in the implementation of projects in the fields of tourism and medicine.
A new mechanism for supporting investment projects, the Regional Initiative, gives an additional impetus to high investment activity. Its list may include investment projects that are significant for the socio-economic development of regions, considering industry specifics, as well as preferential investment projects. At the beginning of June 2025, 88 applications had been received for inclusion in the pool of investment projects of the Regional Initiative, and 39 of them had already been approved.
The implementation of investment projects within the framework of the “One District, One Project” and “Regional Initiative” initiatives makes an important contribution to the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals.
According to the data of the State Institution “Operator of Secondary Material Resources”, 468.98 thousand tons of secondary material resources were collected or harvested in Belarus in the first half of 2025. The resulting value is 48.3% of the value planned for 2025 and exceeds the figure for the same period in 2024 by 13.4%.
In particular, collected:
In per capita terms, over the six months of 2025, each resident of the country sent an average of more than 50 kg of secondary material resources for processing.
The effective use of secondary material resources makes an important contribution to the achievement by the Republic of Belarus of the Sustainable Development Goals 12, 13 and the other SDGs.
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